2003 Honda Element Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 35about this part
- Share
- 8%of 423 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 93,680miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 35 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 Honda Element, 8% of the 423 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 93,680 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While driving west on interstate 10 near brookshire tx I reached into the tray on the right driver side (in dash next to steering column) and apparently brushed the remote (hanging on the key ring) and the engine shut down. I was in the left lane of the two lane highway and had to drive off the exit with no power and put the car in park to restart.”
NHTSA complaint #10151187, filed 2006-02, 58,000 miles“I have a 2003 Honda Element and I have to pay over $700 for a new ignition and my drivers side door does not work with a key or the keyless remote. I am not the only one and Honda should do a blanket recall. I cannot afford to fix the drivers side door at this time. It is embarrassing and unacceptable and it is a common problem. Come on Honda! Now I will have two keys, one for the ignition and one for the doors. When I get my drivers side door fixed, I will have three keys to use. Urg.”
NHTSA complaint #10586840, filed 2014-05, 232,000 miles“I was driving out of the parking lot of my condo, when my knee tapped the keys on my ignition inwards. As this happened the car shut off. I was worried but had to go on with my day. After hearing about the GM issues I became concerned because the issue with their ignition was the same one I was having with my Honda Element. I called Honda on july 1, 2014 and was told there was nothing they could do. I was told I would have to pay for the inspection at the dealership and would have to figure it out on my own. This is not the first time the ignition on my Honda has had an issue. …”
NHTSA complaint #10607361, filed 2014-07, 194,150 miles“The driver's-side key lock routinely does not accept the key without multiple efforts. Sometimes these efforts fail, and I must try the back hatch or passenger side door. As a single female, I find this disturbingly dangerous. It is obvious that I can't get into the car, marking me as vulnerable. This basically sets me afoot, often at night, often in uncertain circumstances. Should I find myself needing to move the car for any emergency whatsoever, a great deal of time will be lost as I struggle with entry. Until I checked for the airbag recall, I had not known about this site. …”
NHTSA complaint #10660749, filed 2014-11, 89,359 miles“The dashboard light of the Honda Element goes dark intermittently. At the beginning I thought this was an isolated event - but found hundreds of complaints about the same issue on internet forums. I have taken my car to the dealership and the problem is so inconsistent that they are unable to diagnose it. From reading the complaint of the other Element owners it seems that the problem is with the electrical wiring system of the elements. I request the NHTSA to perform a detailed investigation into this -as this poses a serious risk with the instruments cluster failing randomly.”
NHTSA complaint #10496176, filed 2013-02, 98,000 milesRelated recalls
- 10V364000Aug 5, 2010Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 honda accord, civic two and four door, and model year 2003-2004 honda element vehicles. The interlock lever of the…Covers: Honda Element 2003–2004, Civic 2003, Accord 2003
Related service bulletins
- 10024565Aug 20, 2012Honda service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. Warranty extension: opds unit or opds sensor triggers srs. Csc was received. *nj updated 9/12/12.
- 10037384Aug 4, 2010Honda: the ignition lock becomes worn and allows the key to be removed in positions other than park. This could cause the vehicle to roll if it's not in park.
- 10032953May 9, 2008Honda: warranty extension-vehicle warranty mileage. Class action lawsuit alleging that the odometers on certain 2002-2006 honda models were overstating mileage. Federal court…
- 10017428Dec 14, 2005Headlights dim or diagnostic trouble code p1298 is stored in the ecm/pcm.
- 10015291Feb 16, 2005Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p2646, p2647, p2649 or p1009.
- 10014746Jan 16, 2005BANK 1 TOO LEAN.
- 10011250Sep 3, 2004Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0606.
- 10014311Dec 1, 2003On-board snapshot data is captured with mil (malfunction indicator lamp) on.
Electrical system: other model years
Other parts of the 2003 Honda Element
226 complaintsAir bags
49 complaintsBody and structure
32 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
27 complaintsSuspension
25 complaintsOther or unknown
16 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
12 complaintsBrakes
11 complaintsExterior lighting
6 complaintsSeats
6 complaintsSteering
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Honda Element
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology